STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1058-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2253

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2253, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Permit all law enforcement officers to carry an opioid antagonist while on duty;

(2) Permit, and provide immunity for, law enforcement officers to administer an opioid antagonist;

(3) Require funds for the purchase of opioid antagonists used by law enforcement officers employed by a county to come from that county's general revenues or share of any opioid litigation proceeds;

(4) Allow the Department of Health to establish education and training projects on drug overdose response and treatment for law enforcement officers; and

(5) Allow the Department of Health to require all restaurants and hotel establishments to maintain an available inventory of Naloxone.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Law Enforcement; Department of Health; Honolulu Police Department; and Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute.

Your Committee finds that opioid antagonists, such as Naloxone, are safe medications to prevent opioid overdose deaths. Your Committee further finds that increased access and the timely administration of opioid antagonists to persons suffering from opioid overdoses will save lives. This measure would increase access to and promotes the timely administration of opioid antagonists.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Incorporating the substantive provisions of this measure into the Overdose Prevention and Emergency Response Act, where those provisions are not currently covered under existing law; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes that this measure will authorize the Department of Health to require restaurants and hotel establishments statewide to maintain an available inventory of Naloxone to respond to emergency situations. However, this measure does not currently specify what is considered an "available inventory" or who is expected to administer Naloxone at the restaurants and hotels. Your Committee recognizes that in 2023, the City and County of Honolulu passed Ordinance No. 23-24 to require certain liquor establishments to maintain Naloxone on their premises. In that ordinance, covered businesses in the City and County of Honolulu are required to maintain a minimum of two doses of Naloxone and train all managers in the proper administration of Naloxone.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2253, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2253, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair